


Close to You

by ask_catnip



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, M/M, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-12 22:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21233498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ask_catnip/pseuds/ask_catnip
Summary: John’s life is about to change when he becomes roommate with the most popular boy in Slytherin.





	Close to You

John started his fifth year at Hogwarts with a surprise-he had somehow been assigned to the dorm room with bunch of seventh year boys. It must had been some kind of mistake, he thought, but all his belongings had already moved themselves to the new room, so he didn’t bother moving them back and just went along instead. 

“Here comes the new mudblood!” 

Welcomed by the vaguely familiar voice of a boy and a small fireball exploding above his head, John entered the room dusting the ash off his shoulders.

“Nice to meet you all, too.” He said with no particular interest in neither the name calling or the mischief. 

“Don’t mind him,” one of the boys jumped off bed and came over to greet John, “I’m Chris, but everyone calls me Crystal. I’m mudblood too.”

It wasn’t a surprise to meet another mudblood in Slytherin, but it was rather uncommon for someone to reveal that to a stranger. First time in his life at Hogwarts, John felt that he didn’t have to hide behind a cold mask in order to protect himself. He shook the hand Crystal held out and smiled back.

Then the boy who called him “mudblood” came over too.

“I was just trying to be nice!” The boy stuck his tongue out.

By calling someone mudblood? John snorted. 

“John, is it? My name is Roger, I’m the new head boy and your new roommate. It’s very odd they put you in here with us, but you won’t regret it, we are gonna have so much fun!”  
“By ‘fun’ you mean you making fun of him?” Crystal sneered.  
“I will do no such thing! It was just a joke, like a ceremony, he’s one of us now.” Roger gave him a wide grin and patted him on the back. 

Roger, Roger Taylor, of course John knew all about him. He was a pure blood with blond hair and blue eyes, inherited from a long line of wizards, best student of his year, not extremely good at quidditch, but was famous for his talent in music. And very very popular among students.

John would be lying to say he hadn’t paid attention to Roger in the common room, because Roger was always in the center of a conversation, surrounded by boys from different years, while he was sitting far from the commotion with his potion book.

“I’ll leave you all now.” Crystal turned to the door.  
“Where are you going? You haven’t got any class today.” Roger was slightly annoyed that Crystal was leaving.  
“Don’t be a baby, Rog, take care of John.” Crystal smiled warmly at John before closing the door. 

John peeked at Roger whose face looked childish with a pout, and felt nervous about being with Roger without Crystal’s presence. 

“Do you need a hand with that?” Roger picked up one of the big cases that belong to John, “is this a guitar?”  
“It’s a bass, yeah.” John was honestly surprised a pure blood like Roger would know such thing existed.  
“Brilliant, do you play?” Roger’s eyes lit up with excitement.  
“I do.” John took the bass out and played some riffs, he couldn’t help but noticing the increasing interest from Roger.  
“That should’ve been the first thing you said when we met! ‘Hey, I’m John, I play the bass’!” Roger put an arm around his shoulder and did a pretty funny impression of John that drew a smile on his face, “I play the guitar and the drums, but I have Crystal playing the drums for me when we rehearsal. We need a bassist, and here you are! This must be the reason you got assigned here!”

John didn’t think that was the reason why he was here, but he was kind of glad it happened. 

“I have seen you before in the common room, you must be really good with potion.” Roger winked at him, and John felt his heart skipped a beat. The fact that Roger noticed him too was a revelation, but maybe the pure blood was just really good with people, like he did with everyone else. 

“Then you may have also noticed I don’t have many friends like you,” John put the bass back to its case, “nobody in Slytherin would befriend a mudblood.”

John spared Roger a sharp glance, Roger winced apologetically.

“But you seemed to get along with Crystal.” The question John was implying was, why does Roger, a popular Slytherin, have a mudblood friend like Crystal?  
“Yeah, Crystal is...special.” Roger answered sheepishly. 

That only raised more questions in John’s head.

The next few days John found himself often accompanied by Roger and Crystal during meal time in the great hall. It gained him quite some attention from other Slytherin students, some with surprise and others with jealousy. 

Because John was apparently friend with Roger, he was no longer the only one to practice alone in the defence against the dark arts class, the teachers called his name more often in classes, he even made a few friends.

But there were something between Crystal and Roger that seemed private, the knowing smiles they exchanged, the jokes only they understood, the way they leaned on each other sitting by the window. 

John wanted what Crystal and Roger shared, although he couldn’t even explain what it was. 

One afternoon he took an absence from history class because he was feeling very sick, his head heavy and insides burning. 

When he finally got back to his dorm, opened the door, ready to collapse onto bed, he froze at the sight in front of him, immediately he turned away, slamming the door behind and dropped to the floor.

“Did you forget to put the spell on?” He heard Crystal’s voice from the other side of the door.  
“I thought you did!” Then came the voice of Roger.

There were footsteps approaching, and the door opened again. 

“John?” it was Crystal, “are you alright?”

Crystal must had seen the state of him, because he sounded worried.

“I think he doesn’t look so good.” Crystal called over his shoulder, then Roger came over too.  
“Crap! What have we done!”  
“I don’t think it’s because of us, Roger, he’s sick. I’m gonna get him to bed.” Crystal picked John up by his arms, and helped him to the bed.

John was still feeling dizzy, but he was certain what he just saw the moment he opened the door. Roger was sitting on Crystal’s laps, and they were definitely kissing.

The only time John had kissed someone was in the third year when a girl under the power of love potion had mistaken him for someone else. 

“You look pale.” Roger bent over to examine him.

John’s eyes widened as the pure blood got closer, his lips so kissable John could not look away. 

“I’ll make you some potion.” Roger exclaimed, Crystal winced in response. 

John gazed up to Crystal’s sharp profile in the sunlight filtering through the old window glass, his heart warmed as the other boy turned around and their eyes met.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of you.” Crystal said as he puffed the pillow up to make John feel more comfortable, “let me know if you want anything.”  
“Thanks, I think I’ll be fine after a good nap.” John didn’t want to be anyone’s trouble, certainly not Crystal and Roger’s.

Crystal tilted his head like he was putting some thoughts together, “you really are levelheaded, aren’t you? Should have seen Roger when he was sick.”  
“Shut up! I’m never sick!” Roger shouted from behind.  
“Really? Who was the whiner that made me rub his tummy for an hour last week because he had a stomachache?” Crystal rolled his eyes.  
“Not me! You must have dreamed it.” 

John chuckled at the two of them bickering, already feeling better.

“Done! Drink this, it will cure you.” Roger held a goblet full of bubbly purple goo in front of John.  
“Ugh, it smells revolting. Are you sure it’s ok?” Crystal eyed the goblet with severe doubt.  
“Of course! My mother always makes this for me when I’m sick.”  
“That explains a lot of things.” Crystal’s playful comment won himself a whack in the head. 

After few seconds of lingering between Crystal’s silent warning and Roger’s expectation, John decided to give it a try, because Roger made it just for him, he really didn’t want to disappoint. Besides, he was already sick, unless the potion kills him, which would be unfortunate, things couldn’t be much worse, could it?

So John took the goblet, shut his eyes, gulped the potion in one go. It tasted awful. 

Then something strange happened, and suddenly the pain and nauseousness all disappeared, the potion worked.

John was relieved, he wanted to say thank you to Roger, but a soft meow came out when he opened his mouth. 

“Roger, what have you done?” Crystal looked defeated.  
“...I guess that does explain a lot of things.” Roger said thoughtfully. 

He couldn’t believe Roger’s potion turned him into a cat.

Turned out being a cat was not completely without merits. John got to cuddle with Roger in bed at night, got to skip the defence against dark arts class next day because, obviously, cat can’t pick up a wand.

However, he was glad a day later when the potion lost its power and he could walk on two feet again. 

Crystal made the pure blood promise to never use magic on John again, and he reluctantly complied. John was too fond of Roger to blame him for the little accident.

Soon came the first quidditch match of the year, and Crystal had been away practicing for the team. John filled in Crystal’s place by Roger’s side naturally when the other boy was in team practices. 

“I thought you used to be on the team too, what happened.” John asked, tossing a chocolate frog into the mouth.  
“I had to wear glasses, and I hated it.” Roger answers nonchalantly. 

John thought it was an odd excuse, but he didn’t want to press further.

“What are you two talking about?” Crystal came back just in time, and kissed Roger on the cheek.

Ever since John witnessed the two of them kissing, they seemed to consider it unnecessary to refrain from doing it in front of him anymore. On one hand, John was happy they thought of him as a close friend, on the other hand, he was longing for the intimacy that he was not a part of. 

“How was the practice? Boring as always?”  
“It’s always boring without you, babe.” Crystal ruffled Roger’s hair fondly, “do you like quidditch, John?”  
“Not a huge fan, but I like to watch the matches.” As a muggle born, John wasn’t aware of the culture until he got admitted into Hogwarts.  
“Roger’s a fan, he got us to watch the World Cup two years ago.”  
“Really?” John looked at Roger who was focusing on his book.  
“If it weren’t for me, Roger would still be on the team.”  
“Hold on, I thought...”  
“Oh, stop it, it’s been ages...” Roger was somehow a little embarrassed.  
“I got into a fight with the other beater on the team, and Roger took the blame for me.”  
“I started it, so it wasn’t just for you.” Roger interrupted.  
“Well, yeah, the guy insulted Roger.” Crystal shrugged.

John listened to every word carefully, he wished he had been there to fight for Roger, or take the blame for Crystal. 

“Was that how you two...?” John was curious, as he had been the whole time.  
“Was it? I don’t remember.”  
“It was the turning point for us, from enemy to friends.” Crystal grinned mischievously, “when we first met, he called me mudblood, as you can imagine, and I called him a twink.”  
“Whatever that means.” Some muggle words didn’t really exist in the pure blood’s wizard head. 

John could almost picture the two boys being at each other’s throat, and he chuckled. 

On the day of the first match, John went to cheer for Crystal, he found himself enjoying the game much more than before now his eyes were fervently following someone on the field. 

Slytherin had a glorious win, and Crystal played outstandingly. He rushed to meet Crystal after the game, through the group of exciting players and their fans, John perceived two familiar figures in the shadow under the stadium. Roger was kissing Crystal passionately while the beater held him close. Just as John wondered whether he should leave the two of them alone, Crystal looked over as if sensed him approaching, then both of them waved at him to join them.

A smile spread wide on John’s face as he ran to the other two as fast as he could, and was welcomed by two pairs of open arms. They embraced him and kissed him on the cheeks. John could hear his heart beating even louder than the noise of the exhilarating crowd, his cheeks burning from the heat of their lips, and eyes filled with wonders of how beautiful and glorious his friends were. 

After the first quidditch match, winter was soon to come, and so were the exams. The trio went to the library together when all of them were free of classes, John and Roger would work on their exams, while Crystal napped most of the time. 

One Thursday afternoon, Roger was called away for his head boy duty. John asked if Crystal would go to the library with him, to his surprised, the boy said yes. He had thought Crystal was going to the library solely to accompany Roger, since he wasn’t keen on studying himself. 

They settled things down in the library, John studied his notes on transfiguration, while Crystal read a few pages of Care of Magical Creatures and put the books down. 

John thought Crystal had fallen asleep again, so he turned to check, but was startled to meet two eyes gazing at him.

“You are quite beautiful, you know that? Roger thinks so too.” Crystal whispered.  
John could feel the heat creeping up his neck and cheeks.  
“You are the first to say so.” He answered truthfully.  
“Then we are really lucky to have found you first.” Crystal shifted in his seat to get closer, “can I kiss you?”

John nodded immediately.

He closed his eyes, and Crystal’s lips touched his, soft and chaste, like dew drops falling on a leaf. He breathed a sigh of content when they parted, and met Crystal’s gaze. Fist time in his life John saw this kind of affection in someone’s eyes that was dedicated to him, his heart was so full of happiness that he leaned over to kiss Crystal. The second kiss was longer and full of passion that John didn’t know he possessed. 

That night John was sitting in the dorm room by himself, still thinking about the kisses he shared with Crystal earlier, when Roger busted into the room.

“Crystal told me that you kissed.” Roger looked at him with an abandoned puppy face, “I know I told him he could kiss you first but I regret it now, I want a ki...”  
He was interrupted by John holding his face and kissing him on the lips, then John pinned him onto the bed and kissed him some more.

Roger was breathless when John broke the kiss, “John...”  
“I have been wanting to do this for a while.” John smirked.  
“Since when?” Roger was still a little shocked by John taking the initiative.  
“Since I first laid eyes on you actually.” It had always been the truth, but John can finally admitted it now. 

“That kiss was amazing by the way.”  
“Thanks, Rog.” John smiled shyly. 

He had never thought he’d fall in love with the most gorgeous boy he had ever met, just like he had never thought he’d have two boyfriends who love him the way they love each other. 

But again, things never happen as planned in Hogwarts. 

They decided to stay at school for Christmas this year, so the three of them could celebrate together. 

On the morning of Christmas Eve, the owls brought gifts from their families. Roger got a shiny new guitar, John received a sweater knitted by his mother, Crystal didn’t get anything in the mail. 

“Is the owl late?” John looked around to see if there was any owl swooping in the wrong direction.  
“No worries, nothing is coming for me.” Crystal explained, “I’m not on good terms with my family.”  
“Oh.”  
“They kind of freaked out that their son was a wizard.”  
“I’m sorry about that...hope they’ll come around someday.” 

Crystal never talked about his family the whole time they were together, now John finally understood why.

“I don’t count on that, but thanks.” Crystal grinned.  
“This reminds me that I’ve got presents for both of you!” 

Both John and Crystal turned to Roger as the pure blood took two packages out of nowhere. 

“I was going to give these to you tomorrow, but I don’t want to see Crystal crying because he hasn’t got any presents.”  
“I’d be crying if you get me a book.” Crystal took the package from Roger, which definitely didn’t look like a book.  
“Is this for me?” John couldn’t hide his happiness that someone other than family had just given him a present, “can I open it?”  
“Of course, it’s yours.” Roger encouraged.

With almost trembling hands, John opened his present, under the neatly wrapped paper it was a beautiful small wood box carved with stars and magical symbols, he carefully opened the box, inside was a charm. 

“I made this myself.” Roger explained, “it has a drop of my blood in it, when you think of me, just say a simple spell and I’ll feel it.”  
John held the charm up to the light, a small drop of blood was floating in the glass ball in the middle.  
“Thank you, Roger.” John held the charm tightly in his hand, “this is the best present I have ever had.”  
“I’m so happy you like it.” 

John stared at the charm in his palm, with a heart full of warm feelings. 

“Oh, that’s not fair, John gets the best present ever and I get a broomstick?” Crystal complained, holding the newest model of Nimbus.  
“You’d better like it, cause I spent all my pocket money on it!” Roger pretended to choke Crystal with his arms, which made John laugh. 

“I’ve also got presents for you two actually.” John took out two sweaters from his package, “they are not expensive but my mom made them for you.”  
“You told your mom about us?” Uttered Roger, “what did you say?”  
“I told her I met two people who have become very important to me. She invited you to our house this summer.” The thought of his mom and their small but cozy home put a smile on John’s face.  
“That’s very nice of her, John, we sure will pay her a visit.” Crystal assured.

“Oh, I’ve never been to a muggle’s house, this is gonna be exciting!”  
“Yeah.” Crystal rolled his eyes, “just don’t drool over the microwave.”  
“What is a ‘microwave’?” Roger seemed already fascinated, and John had to spend the next twenty minutes explaining the common muggle kitchen appliance to the pure blood.

Crystal couldn’t be bothered further about Roger’s sudden interest in muggle’s house, so he suggested that he treats them all to The Three Broomsticks as his Christmas’s present. 

They had great fun at the famous pub, Crystal’s jokes never disappoint, and Roger was exuberant with the firewhisky in him. John drank his butterbeer and watched his two boyfriends most of the time, but in the end he became part of their nonsense as well, coming up with jokes of his own, even had a sip of the firewhisky. 

Crystal carried Roger back to the dorm later that night, and John followed lightheadedly. They collapsed into Roger’s bed and snuggled under the blanket together, with Roger and John clinging to each side of Crystal. 

“It was the best night I’ve ever had.” John mumbled, nuzzling the crook of Crystal’s neck.  
“I’m happy to be with you too.” Crystal turned his head and pecked on John’s lips. 

The bulge in the blanket on Crystal’s other side writhed and grunted in protest.  
“Fine, you get a kiss too.” Crystal tilted Roger’s chin up and smacked a kiss on his lips as well.  
“Merry Christmas, Roger.” John leaned over and kissed Roger.  
“I love you both...” The older boy soon drifted into sleep, the other two whispered for a while in the quiet of the darkness, but also fell asleep shortly after. 

The new year came, the quidditch cup finished the last game of the school year, and most seventh year students, Roger included, started to prepare for their final NEWT exams. 

John himself was busy with his OWL test, so he and Roger were often seen in the library together. Crystal would join them sometimes, but only served as a distraction. 

Roger came back to the dorm one night when John was practicing spells by the window, the older boy dropped his books on the floor with a thump and landed on the bed facing down.

“Are you alright?” John put away his wand and went to check on his boyfriend.

“No I’m not alright, I nearly lost an arm today and I’m exhausted.” Roger mumbled into the mattress.  
“Poor Rog, do you need a hug?” Offered John.  
“You bet I do.” Roger wrapped himself on John like an octopus, and they both fell back to bed.

Roger’s breaths tickled as he laid on top of John’s chest, he kept still so the pure blood could rest comfortably, and he stroked Roger’s blond hair absentmindedly.

“John, what’s going on, you’re so quiet today.” Roger’s voice resonated in his chest.  
“I...it’s nothing really.”  
“Oh, come on, tell me.”  
“Alright, I just can’t stop thinking you’ll be leaving Hogwarts soon, and I’ll be stuck here for two more years.”  
“Right...”  
“Is that why you gave me the charm for Christmas? To make the distance less insufferable?”  
“...are you mad at me?”  
“Of course not, I’m just...I’m going to miss you a lot.” John felt his eyes stung with tears, “I wish I had met you and Crystal earlier, one year is such a short time.”  
“Two years will be short too!”  
“Not without you.” 

Roger pushed up on his arms and stared down at the younger lad, his outline was so soft yet underneath was the strength of somebody who would become the powerful wizard he was always meant to be. 

“I promise I will be there whenever you need me, and I’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready to join the outside world.”  
“I will hold you to that.” John said solemnly.  
“You know you are quite intimidating sometimes...are you like this with Crystal too?” Roger quavered slightly under John’s scrutiny.  
“You’ll have to ask him.” John rolled them over, “but Crystal’s words always sound more reliable to me, probably has something to do with the fact that you ‘accidentally’ turned me into a cat.”  
“Ugh! That’s not fair, I was a victim too!” Roger complained vigorously, and John calmed him with a kiss. 

They stayed in bed for a while longer until Roger fell asleep, and John snuggled into his own bed. Much as he wanted to be tangled with Roger, he needed sometime to himself tonight to think about what was he going to do after Roger graduate. Supposedly Crystal would still be here for another year, but somehow John had his suspicion about that.

John’s hunch was proven right when Crystal came to ask him out for a walk few days later. 

“There’s something I’d like to ask you.” 

They were standing on the wooden bridge, the valley was misty underneath their feet. 

“I’ve made up my mind long time ago that I would go wherever Roger goes.” Crystal continued, “but that was before I met you, John. I have planned to drop out when Roger graduates, the school is of no importance to me. Now I wonder if I should stay just for you. Would you like me to stay?” 

The winds of the valley howled by their ears. 

“Are you asking if I would be a selfish bastard to keep you for myself?” John joked.  
“Yeah, something like that.” Crystal humored, “but I want you to be selfish for this one. Because I love you.” 

It was nothing but sincerity, and it hurt John to think that he was given the chance to make a choice for Crystal yet he couldn’t. If only magic could be more use at healing heartache. 

“I love you too, Crystal, I’ve never felt so comfortable and appreciated with anyone else, not even Roger. But we both know Roger needs you more than I do.” 

Crystal lowered his gaze, he looked sad for a moment, but it was gone before John could say anything.

“You’re right, who knows what kind of mess would he make out there by himself. He can’t even ride a broomstick after one glass of firewhisky. Not to mention all the troubles he gets himself into...”  
“Crystal.”  
“What?”  
“Can I hug you?”

John wrapped his arms around Crystal’s waist, feeling the embrace of warmth and gentleness, he let himself forget that they will be leaving and he will be alone again, while Crystal nuzzled his hair.

Two years had passed, John spent most of his time studying when he was not writing to his boyfriends. They wrote to each other every week, but it was mostly between John and Crystal, with Roger adding comments on Crystal’s letter. They spent holidays together, even went camping one summer, which Roger wasn’t particularly fond of. 

John was almost too excited to graduate from Hogwarts with the highest grades for almost all his NEWT subjects. But he was disappointed when Crystal told him in the last letter that he and Roger were on a trip, and would not be back till one month later.

He was really looking forward to finally being with them, and perhaps never let go again. 

John got off the train at platform 9 3/4 and went straight home. He had told his mother to wait for him at home. But when he got back, the house was quiet, was his mother out to run some errands?

John put his luggage down in the living room and walked into the kitchen, “mom?” And suddenly a fireball exploded over his head with flying sparks that spelled “congratulations”. 

“Somehow this feels vaguely familiar...” John couldn’t hold the smiles as he dusted the ash off his shoulders.  
“It was Roger’s idea.” One of his boyfriends pointed at the other one standing behind the dining table.  
“It was ‘our’ idea!” Roger leaped to give John a hug.

“Welcome back!”  
“I’m so happy to be home again.” 

With Crystal and Roger around him, John prayed in his heart, may the stars shine on us, and we’ll never be apart.


End file.
